Keep quiet over Ange, says Roar skipper

Date: December 12 2012

Laine Clark

Keeping fiery striker Besart Berisha quiet may be easier said than done but Brisbane Roar captain Matt Smith wants his side to not comment on ex-coach Ange Postecoglou and let their football do the talking this week.

Still wincing over the fallout from the last time his teammates took aim at their former mentor, Smith said the second-last Roar were in no position to taunt ahead of Saturday night's season-defining A-League clash with Postecoglou's Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.

Berisha set the tone ahead of their first meeting with Postecoglou's Victory in October when he vowed to send his ex-coach home a loser.

A day later Brisbane's German import Thomas Broich said the club's new coach Rado Vidosic was the "brains" behind their two A-League titles under Postecoglou.

But instead of savouring a record 5-0 win over the Victory in round two, Vidosic felt compelled to apologise for his players' comments that Postecoglou described as "distasteful" and "disrespectful".

Smith admitted the hype created this week by the Roar taking on their former coach would be "great for the game" but he hoped his teammates did not add to it.

"Personally I won't be building it up," he said on Wednesday.

"Because of past experiences I am not going to get involved in any Ange talk.

"We don't need to be focusing on that. We are at a crucial point in our season.

"There was enough talk last time."

Still buzzing from his Socceroos debut in a successful East Asian Cup qualifying campaign in Hong Kong, Smith hoped his Midas touch rubbed off on the Roar, who slumped to their fifth loss in seven games last weekend.

"I have come back motivated," he said.

"(But) time is running out. If we don't start getting some consistency I fear we won't be as successful as in the past."

Smith said he struck up a friendship with Victory's Archie Thompson and Mark Milligan in the Socceroos camp but admitted it would matter little on Saturday night.

"They are very nice people, we got on well. But there will be no mates there on Saturday," he smiled.

"Both teams are relatively in similar positions. I think that will ensure a great spectacle for the A-League this weekend."

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